Smiral and CIL enter the Tavern, looking about the place it was of a fairly stereotypical construction. There was a small set of stairs to the upper class lounge, though the majority of the space was occupied by tables and chairs for the commoners. There was another flight of stairs leading up to a set of rooms, though that wasn't her focus this day as she sits down at a table and stares in an absent minded fashion at the amethyst between her fingers. She wrinkles her snout as CIL sits down beside her, looking about the room in a confused fashion. "Aaaand why are we sitting on our asses?" He asked as Smiral slaps him upside the head. "To figure out what this thing's worth, we're meeting an associate of mine."
They watch as a king cobra slithers in through the door, hissing at the bartender as he backs away. Slowly snaking his way up to a chair opposite of Smiral, his black, soulless eyes stare at the gem with a piqued interest. Notable, there was hints of technology buried underneath his skin, and the way his eyes moved was unnatural. CIL giggles uncontrollable as one of the eyes blatantly lagged behind the other anytime the cobra looked around the room, with Smiral slapping him over the back of his head once again to shut him up. "Zed, tell me why someone would want this so badly." She flashes out the Amethyst, and the snake's lips seem to curl upwards as his forked tongue flicks out with glee. "Ssssa Gem, Pretty gem, Thousand cuts gem, sss... Mussst examine... In machineessss... Back in my laaab..."
Smiral pockets the amethyst once more as a pair of figures enters the tavern. The sight of them immediately causes everyone in the tavern to flee to the next floor, or even jump out windows, save for Smiral, Zed, and CIL, and a select few others either too brazen or too stupid to run. Looking backward, Smiral spots two people staring at her from the doorway, and she immediately recognizes who they are: Joroceros, and Toellner. The Rhino, and The Desert Fox. The Cleaner, and the Professional, of the Moth Boss.
The desert fox nods to Joroceros, who starts walking towards Smiral. A tall and large gentleman, heavily muscular, and yet, special emphasis was put on the gentleman part: He wore a pair of reading glasses and a dark red business suit with a black tie tied in the most sophisticated manner imaginable. His gloved hands extend out into a handshake for Smiral as she eyes them, unimpressed as she gets out of her chair and keeps the table between her and Joroceros. CIL looks at Joroceros's horn and giggles once again. "He's horny, hahahahah--" With a single smack from the Rhino, CIL goes parasailing through the air into the bar. "I was waiting for someone to do that to the little shit." Smiral stated, though she was still smart enough to keep the table between them. "I do that every time someone uses such an abused quip of my mighty pride." He plainly replies.
It was at this point that three more figures rose up from the opposite end of the Tavern. Captain Ferret, Mayor Badger, and Doivid the Armadillo. Doivid was dressed in a casual turtleneck sweater and a pair of grey slacks, with black dress shoes and a pair of glasses over his eyes that could not contain the soft, caring look that easily absorbed whatever poor feelings one would have looking into them. The tension in the room quickly filled as Smiral and Zed get trapped between them. The Desert Fox steps forward in his dark red suit and black tie. At his waist was a rapier, and his glare matched that of Captain Ferret. "It takes a special kind of stupid to name yourself Captain." Ferret chuckles as he unsheathes his arming sword. "Maybe."
Joroceros takes his reading glasses off and loosens his tie, letting it drop to the floor as the Rhino closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Ever seen a freight train?" He says with a grin as he flexes his muscles and glares at Mayor Badger. Without warning he then charges through the table, shattering it as Smiral and Zed dive away in opposite directions. Smiral looks back as she sees the Desert Fox over-top of her, swinging downward only for an arming sword to get in the way, just inches away from her throat. "She has something my lady Idle wants." Toellner says with a glare as Ferret struggles to hold the rapier away from Smiral's throat with his arming sword. "Ever tried talking for it?!" Toellner looks at Smiral, who had already slipped out from underneath the blades. "Will you hand me the amet--" Smiral spits at him. "Fuck no." She then runs out of the tavern with Zed and CIL in tow. "See? This is why I don't waste my time with words." Toellner says as he brings his rapier up to chest height and spreads his feet out, readying to duel. "Now where were we?"
Joroceros charged past the rest to go after Dargo, ramming into the table which they had been sitting at earlier he shattered that as well. "FREIGHT TRAIN! CHOO CHOO!" He howls with incomprehensible rage, his accent taking on Stallone-like attributes in being completely unintelligible. Mayor Badger on the other hand tosses his monocle aside as he extends his claws, growling lowly. "Badgers don't give a fuck." He boasted as he swing out and cut Joroceros's arm. While blood trickled down it, Joroceros didn't seem to care as he only grew angrier, rhino rushing Dargo into the wall as Dargo wrapped his hands around the Rhino's face, keeping the horn away, gritting his teeth in frustration. Joroceros then grabs the badger and throws him like a football onto the ground behind himself. Chuckling, he steps forward as the badger struggles to get on his feet, though he smirks as a little blood rolls down from the corner of his mouth. "You know, you should watch your back." He says as Joroceros turns and looks behind him, seeing nothing. Dargo then takes the feint and leaps at Joroceros, shoving one of his claws deep into his chest. "AND YOU SHOULDN'T TURN IT TO ME!"
In that moment Jorick howled in a mixture of pain and rage, hitting the badger with enough force to send him through the ceiling up onto the second floor. Dargo coughs in pain as Jorick staggered his way to the second floor, seeing Dargo cradle an arm he grins. "You're too small to kill me. Foxxie'll fix me right up when I get home." He feels someone tap his shoulder, turning once more, though this time listening for Dargo. There, this small armadillo stood, staring up at him. Jorick stares back at the armadillo, blinking in confusion as he slowly began to calm down. Without warning he then grabs his chest, the wound becoming far more significant while he was calm, falling through the hole in the floor onto his back. There, he stared at the ceiling, smiling a little as the armadillo looked back down at him. "... What... Bullshit..." Doivid merely smiles back as Jorick breathes his last.
Dargo slowly gets onto his feet, still cradling his arm he nods in appreciation to Doivid. "I didn't want to kill anyone..." Doivid whispered with a frown. "I didn't think you'd kill him by making him calm either, but I guess rage sustains him." Dargo replies, as the two start going back down the stairs to try and help Ferret.
Meanwhile, at the same time the battle with the Rhino was going on, Ferret and Toellner were exchanging blows. Toellner's superior reach and dexterity was keeping Ferret from going on the offensive. Swing after swing, jab after jab, over tables and occasionally under them until Toellner finally got his lucky break with tripping Ferret over the leg of a chair. "AHA!" Toellner grinned, jabbing out towards Ferret and burying the tip of his rapier in the Captain's shoulder. Ferret squeeks in pain, then kicks out Toellner's legs from underneath him, the rapier falling to the side as the Ferret tackles the Fox and bites Toellner's snout. "Foxes will never outsmart Ferrets!" Toellner flips Ferret over, and starts repeatedly punching his face. "Foxes are bigger and more cunning!" The Ferret then brings his paws up and grabs both of Toellner's wrists. "Foxes' can't write for shit though." Toellner stares in confusion as one of the few remaining in the Tavern, a Hawk wearing a beanie perched up above the bar stares and laughs. "HA! Meta!"
Toellner then notices his comrade's body fall through the hole in the second floor, it was at this point that Ferret grabs Toellner's tail with his legs and pulls, causing Toellner to fall off with a yelp as Ferret scrambles on all fours back to his two comrades going down the stairs. Toellner growls, and picks up his rapier, and Joroceros' glasses. "This isn't the last you've seen..." His eyes then wander to Joroceros. "... Of either of us." Without any further words, he dashes out of the tavern, leaving his dead comrade on the floor. Doivid looks at his two comrades and shakes his head as he walks over to the shattered table which once held their belongings, finding his doctor's bag nearby. "You two are insane." The two grin at each other as Badger stares at the barkeep. "TWO BEERS!" Ferret interjects. "ONE BEER, ONE WHISKEY!"
Back in Idle's headquarters, she sees Toellner return and frowns. "Where is Joroceros? Where is my Cleaner, Toellner?" Toellner bows his head humbly, saying nothing as Idle sighs. "I see... Who did this. Who killed my favourite cleaner." Toellner tosses Jorick's glasses onto the dining table. "Mayor Badger." Idle shakes her head. "If my hitman was available I'd send him, but he isn't... It seems we'll have to take care of them ourselves. Toellner, I want you to take Gold Marble and wait until one of them is alone. Then kill him. I don't care if it's Captain Ferret or Mayor Badger, just make sure to kill one when they're separated... In fact, I might know just the way to do it..."
To be continued in Scene 4.
Smiral learns about the Amethyst.
Dargo goes into the Lion's Den.
Ferret and the "mysterious" Otter attempt to find Smiral to retrieve the amethyst themselves.
Hopefully I can do more with High Beanie Hawk.
Someone might die. We'll see if the Dice Gods are feeling merciful.
